Deborah Hewitt’s debut novel 'The Nightjar' imagines “another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city we know.” This world draws on the folkloric tradition of the “soul-bird” that carries the souls of the dead to the Underworld. But I struggled throughout to connect the book’s real-world setting and characters with the mythological elements that form the foundation of this otherwise entertaining fantasy novel.

'Lent' is a tale of sin and redemption, of punishment and forgiveness, of power and justice, of certainty and compromise. And no writer of fiction is better at handling such enormous concepts than Jo Walton.

Fans of the hard-boiled detective genre and grittier comics will enjoy 'Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.' The casual sexism and senseless brutality may offend modern sensibilities. But taken as a product of the time in which it was originally created, this is a beautiful adaption, keeping alive one of pulp fiction’s most distinctive characters.

]]>37419REVIEW: Go underground with the preppers for ‘Apocalypse Any Day Now’https://www.popmythology.com/review-apocalypse-any-day-now/
Wed, 15 May 2019 20:07:00 +0000https://www.popmythology.com/?p=38562

Tea Krulos takes another look at eccentric Americans in 'Apocalypse Any Day Now.' As usual, he lets his oddball subjects speak for themselves without rendering overt comment on their beliefs. Krulos’ engagement with this world helps his subjects open up to him and also makes for a more entertaining book than a more conventional, arms-length journalistic exercise. 'Apocalypse Any Day Now' is a fun and funny, but never mocking, dive into the bizarre world of doomsday preppers.

Acclaimed comics writer Michael Moreci branches out into novel-writing with 'Black Star Renegades,' an homage to 'Star Wars' with a tone a bit more along the lines of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Firefly.' Fans of the genre will not be disappointed, as Moreci has the conventions of space opera down pat. This is an entertaining adventure from start to finish.

Still going strong at age 78, Peter S. Beagle's version of fantasy is a whimsical one, though he never descends into farce. He takes his characters seriously, even if the reader cannot help but chuckle at their misadventures. Beagle’s charms have not worn off.

'Luna: Wolf Moon' continues to develop the complex characters and fascinating setting established in 'Luna: New Moon,' but never skimps on page-turning action. Although incomplete, Ian McDonald’s saga already outpaces Robert Heinlein’s 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' (1966) as the definitive lunar epic.

V.E. Schwab returns to form in the third book of her Shades of Magic series. A Conjuring of Light picks up at the cliffhanger ending of A Gathering of Shadows (2016). I was a little let down by the slow pace, light tone and abrupt end to Gathering, but Conjuring recaptures the, ahem, magic from series debut, A Darker Shade of Magic (2015).

Robert Charles Wilson continues his run of smart science fiction with 'Last Year.' The book offers a new look at time travel, with plenty to say about capitalism, cultural relativism and the ethics of tourism. Especially when the tourists come from the future.

Dan Wells explores the dark side of genetic engineering in 'Extreme Makeover,' a satirical science-fiction novel that is equal parts terrifying and hilarious. Wells excels at gallows humor, blending the serious with the silly without collapsing into farce.

'Theology and Science Fiction' is an accessible overview of how theology and sci-fi “speak” to one another. McGrath writes clearly and explains complex concepts effectively. But the book could have benefitted from more detailed analysis of specific examples from sci-fi to illustrate his points.

*Note: This post contains a zombie herd’s worth of spoilers for both Season 6 of the TV show and Volume 17 of the comic. Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead premiers on October 23. As we prepare to learn the outcome of season 6’s cliffhanger ending, I want to revisit last season’s big controversy—the fake-out …

The fight to assert one's humanity drives the narrative in 'The Obelisk Gate.' It is not merely a political aspiration but a deeply personal one, making the 'Broken Earth' series never feel polemical. N.K. Jemisin’s characters aren’t symbols; they are complex and conflicted human beings who want only to live in peace. But in the Stillness, as in the real world, sometimes you have to fight for peace.

The prolific Jo Walton returns with a sequel to 'The Just City' and 'The Philosopher Kings.' 'Necessity' completes the saga of gods and philosophers seeking to make Plato’s 'Republic' a reality. While it has an entertaining storyline, it is a missed opportunity in an otherwise exemplary and thought-provoking trilogy.

As with any anthology, the quality of the stories in 'Dead Letters' is uneven, and there are some flubbed endings. But on the whole, the all-star writers who contributed to this volume do indeed deliver.

I have been waiting with anticipation for the follow-up to Rjurik Davidson’s strikingly original debut, Unwrapped Sky (2014), and The Stars Askew does not disappoint. The “young master of the New Weird” fleshes out his wonderfully bizarre world, a world that blends familiar elements of history and mythology in unique ways.

]]>31012REVIEW: ‘Team Foxcatcher’ humanizes its subjects but the full story isn’t toldhttps://www.popmythology.com/team-foxcatcher-netflix-review/
Thu, 19 May 2016 03:29:15 +0000http://www.popmythology.com/?p=30697

'Team Foxcatcher' tells the tragic story of Olympic champion wrestler Dave Schultz and his murder at the hands of deranged billionaire John E. du Pont. If that story sounds familiar, it’s because the tragedy was recently dramatized in Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher (2014). The documentary does much to fill in the gaps—and correct some inaccuracies—from the dramatization, but still contains some significant omissions.

With 'Captain America: Civil War' raging in theaters, it is a good time to take a look at the comic that inspired it: Marvel’s 'Civil War' (2006-07) by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. Like Frank Miller’s 'The Dark Knight Returns' (1986) and Alan Moore’s 'Watchmen' (1986-87), Civil War pits superheroes against one another in a battle to decide the proper role of super-powered crime-fighters in a democracy.

As a follow up to my two-part scholarly analysis of Frank Miller’s 'The Dark Knight Returns' (1986), I’d like to explore the second of what Sean Carney calls “two towering monoliths that changed the face of the superhero”— 'Watchmen' (1986-87) by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.